A Catoniss Story
by beautifulrelationships
Summary: Katniss is back from the Capitol, living with her 'Auntie and Uncle', she goes to the town high school and comes across a by the mysterious and good-looking Cato. He suduces her to adventure and they share a lifetime of love and a promise of trust together. Through the journey, they fall in love but danger is coming back for Katniss. And they attack the one person she loves most.
1. Chapter 1

I jumped up to the sound of my alarm clock killing my ears. I felt cold. My back hurt. I must have slept wrong. Nothing seemed out of place. Everything seemed to stay the same. I rolled out of bed. Flexed my back and looked into my mirror. My braid was messy. I needed a shower.

I ran down my stairs to find my Auntie in the kitchen making pancakes. She was flipping them onto a single plate which was slowly creating a tower. When I hit the last step, she looked up and saw me.

"Happy first day of school as a junior!" she screamed and clapped her hands together quickly. She always got too excited over small occasions.

"Effie, why did you make me breakfast?" I walked into the kitchen, Haymitch was sitting at the table with a glass of brandy in his hand.

"Bit early isn't it?" I said and sat down next to him and poured myself a cup of coffee.

"Never too early, sweetheart." Haymitch smiled and kissed my forehead.

"Don't call me Effie. It's auntie Effie. And Uncle Haymitch. As far as anyone else in Hunger Heights is concerned. Is Peeta coming to pick you up?" Effie all but yelled. I nodded slowly. After living in the Capitol for so long, it was comfortable to come to a slow town and not as much drama. I have to pretend that Effie and Haymitch are my relatives. Although we don't look similar at all. Effie ordered me to go take a shower and dress respectively, her words were 'We don't want another Capitol fiasco'.

I heard the doorbell ring from my room. I still had my hair in a braid but it was looking like a birds nest. I dressed in my usual black pants and dark shirt and ran down the stairs to see Peeta outside my front door having friendly conversation with Haymitch.

"Hey! Let's go" I grabbed his arm but just before we could close the door, Effie was running up to us and pulling me back inside.

"What are you wearing? You can't wear you usual baggy clothes to your first day. Oh my, you can't. And your hair! I told you to take a shower!" Effie complained, straightening my clothes and quickly pulling out my hair.

"Stop it! I look fine. I have no one to impress." I said. I really couldn't care what anyone at this scool thought of me. Effie pulled out my hair till it was wavy and smooth. Though to me, it still looked like a birds nest.

"Dear, leave her alone. She looks lovely. Go have fun, Cherrib." Haymitch smiled, putting his arm around Effie. Peeta quickly said his goodbyes and we ran down to his car. I collapsed inside and rested my head against the back, inside of the usual way I sit straight and tight.

"Do they still think I don't know they're not really married?" Peeta laughed when he started the engine.

"Oh, Haymitch does. Effie is so oblivious, if Haymitch didn't pull that last move, she'd be giving him a lecture about it until I get home." I sighed. I felt bad for Haymitch, I loved Effie in a way but she can be so damn high-maintenance.


	2. Chapter 2

We got to school before the Roll call bell went. Peeta has always been a great friend, but he didn't hold a candle to Gale. I don't even remember meeting Gale. He's lived in Hunger Heights all his life and I don't remember a day where I didn't see him. But when I moved to the Capitol with my parents, we slowly fell apart. He stopped calling. I stopped writing, it was such a bother and I didn't have enough time to keep up with it all. The Capitol was a mess. A big one. I told my parents we never should have moved there. They were much like Effie. Oblivious idiots.

"Katnip!" I heard behind me, I turned around and saw Gale running up to me, he grabbed me tight and lifted me up in a big bear hug, I was so excited. He looked the same but more manly. Bigger muscles, hadn't shaved in a while. But he was still my Gale. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Gale." And I did. I missed him so much. I turned to Peeta and he looked at Gale strange. Like this was a new toy that he wasn't fond of. "Sorry, Peeta this is Gale, my bestfriend. I met Peeta in the Capitol." They extended hands and shaked in a tight grip, smiling warmly at each other.

Once the bell went, Gale did his best to describe where everything was to Peeta and I and where our rollcall classes were. We departed and I was alone. I didn't go to school in the Capitol, all I was doing there was trying to win my way to survival. Before my parents were killed. Through the game I was forced to play was where I met Peeta, Haymitch and Effie. They done their best to keep my safe but after my parents, we all had to leave the Capitol and come here. Effie and Haymitch took over me and Peeta went back to his family.

I eventually found my way to Room 23. The door was closed. So I knew I had to knock, bring attention to myself and have a bunch of unfamiliar faces staring at me. I held my breath and knocked quickly and opened up the door, the first thing I saw was how small the desks were and how small the number of students in the room were, only six or seven. I looked immediately at the teacher. Searching for some guidance. He looked me up and down and gestured at me to take a seat. I sat as far away from all the students as possible. In the nearest back corner. The rude teacher sat down and began calling out different names. Rue, Thresh, Glimmer, Clove, Cato, Angie, Marvel. I correctly matched everyone to their names, All such strange names. The small, dark-skinned girl, Rue turned around and smiled at me. I didn't know what to do and I strained an ultimately creepy smile back.

"Ka-Katni-Katniss? Katniss Everdeen?" The teacher struggled to get out my name and raised his eyebrows and looked in my direction. I forced a smile and nodded. "Oh, you must be new to our school. I'm ." He mumbled. Cato, the boy with blond spiky hair looked in my direction and smirked.

"She's not new. She was on tv, Sir. 'The girl on fire' they called her" He chuckled. Like he pitied me or thought my fight for my life was amusing. I didn't know who this boy was but he already infuriated me.

A second bell went and everyone jumped up and slung their bags over their shoulders and walked out the room. I started to do the same when the small girl approached me.

"Hello." She said. She looked down at the ground but smiles were all over her face. Was she happy to meet me?

"Hi? I'm Katniss. Your name is Rue." I said and stood up. I towered over her. I thought it was appropriate to step back so I didn't look so scary. "Do you know where I'm suppose to go now?" I asked wishing Gale would walk through the door and I could just follow him around all day.

"Yes. Juniors always have History first on Mondays. Do you know where the Junior History room is?" She said. It sounded as though she was whispering but it was obvious she just had a very small, high voice.

"Yes. Gale showed me earlier. My friend. Thankyou." I said and tried to smile my friendliest smile. I walked out of the room and tried to remember every step I took to get there so I remember tomorrow. I was late to history. I took me a whole damn time to try and find the right class. I walked into the Senior class. Then the Freshman class and after a lot of consulting with the teachers I walked into the right class.

"Katniss Everdeen!" A teacher with blue hair screamed out when I walked through the door. "My name is Mr. Flickerman. Though you may call me whatever you like" He smiled. I looked around the classroom. I could see Peeta sitting in the back. In front of him was Cato. Next to Cato was Clove, Glimmer, who was stroking hand up and down Cato's arm, and Marval. Other faces I didn't recognise. I quickly ran to the back and sat down next to Peeta. He was much happier to see me and not be stuck in a class with no friends.

"Hey" I whispered and grabbed out my books. "How the hell did you find this class before me?"

"I'm in the Rollcall next door." He said and scribbled down some notes on the board. Cato turned around to face Peeta and I. He glared at us. But when he looked at me in the eye. I felt a shiver run down me. Like he was taking something. Taking a part of me. His glare left his eyes and it was more than that. He was staring at something. Something inside. I didn't want to look away but I felt I should. I felt like this was inappropriate. I knew Peeta could see what was happening. I could feel his gaze, questioning while me and Cato looking at each other. It was more like we were just searching for something inside. Cause it wasn't just staring. I felt something. I felt a connection. Something pulled inside me. It was pulling me towards Cato. I turned away. Smiled at Peeta and pulled out a pen. When I came back up ready to write down some notes, Clove and Glimmer were staring at me with Cato.


	3. Chapter 3

"What?"

"So, _fire girl, _why'd you move back here?" Clove said, glaring at me. Cato looked at me again. Apology on his face. I ignored her. She had no right to be in my business or a right to know why I came back. _Just keep looking down, don't do it, Katniss. No, focus. _

"How are you parents?" Glimmer smirked. When I heard those words, it was like they were being burned into my arm. My breathing got heavy, I could feel my body shaking. I looked up at Glimmer, I knew my eyes would terrify her, especially when she face turned from harm to fright. She turned back around and so did Clove. Cato looked at me again and nodded once, and returned back to his work.

"Are you okay?" Peeta whispered, touching my hand, softly. I wasn't taking any of it. I pulled my hand away and shoved my books in my bag and flew out the door. I could hear ask where I was going behind me before I slammed the door shut.

I ended up on the oval but hidden behind a big line of bushes and a beautiful, tall, oak tree. When I saw it, I climbed up to the steadiest branch and nestled onto it and sat. I looked around and gazed at the green leafs, dancing together. Swaying together.

"Are you okay?" I was asked. I practically jumped and fell out of the tree. In the freefall, I was preparing myself for the hit. I was only about 20 feet up until I felt a pair of strong arms around my body. I looked up to see Cato. Cato was looking down at me and he didn't have friendly on his face, but he didn't have unfriendly either. Neutral. I couldn't read it. His face was dangerously close to mine. In fact, I could feel his breath, hot on my face.

"Put me down." I ordered.

"You are down. You just need to step away." He smirked. I wanted to hit him for making me look like an idiot. I tried to step away from him but whilst doing it, I seemed to have tripped over my own feet and went plummeting to the ground. I was a millisecond to it when Cato caught me again. He pulled me back up and then took two steps away from me. "I'm Cato." He said. Before I nearly said _I know _I pulled that back and thought about not looking like a creep and said "I'm Katniss."

"Are you ditching?" he asked and his eyes trailed behind me, towards the exit of the school.

"Did it look like I was ditching? I was sitting in a tree. Then you made me fall out" I stated, sounding smart was the only thing I had right now.

"Firstly, no. Secondly, I caught you. Twice. You're welcome." He smiled and walked gracefully behind me, towards the exit. He stopped at the gate and looked back to me. "Coming? I'll promise to catch you, if you fall that is." And he put out his hand. _Effie would be ashamed. _I walked towards the gate with Cato but I simply walked past and missed his hand.

"Yes, I am coming." I answered.

"So ladylike." He muttered.

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**Thankyou for reading. I'll try to post the next chapter sometime soon. Please, post comments and reviews and things. I'd love to read what you have to say. 3**


	4. Chapter 4

"Where are we going?" I asked Cato, who is 20 feet ahead of me, swatting millions of branches out of his way.

"You're just following me." He said simply. I am not. He offered me a fun time. I ran up behind him and playfully pushed him in the back, he fell face first into the ground and hit his head on the big rock. Before I could catch him, or help, he was nearly unconscious.

"Cato? Oh, shit. I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry, Cato" he had blood coming out of the side of his face and he looked through me like a ghost. "Cato. Can you understand me? Do you know what I'm saying? Cato?" I shook him repeatedly and kept screaming his own name at him.

"I remember the first time I saw you on Tele. You looked so. .I thought you were. ." he drifted back and forth and then he closed his eyes and fell asleep. I kept shaking him and calling his name.

"Cato? What? Finish your damn sentence! Wake up!" I didn't know what to do. I had never treated anyone before or I had no idea where we were. The only thing I could do was pull out the tissue in my pocket and gently dab the cut on his face. I let him rest and I stood up and tried to walk in the direction I thought Cato was taking me in. After what felt like a half an hour of walking, I thought I should give up and go back to Cato. I could still see his body on the ground but I reluctantly took a few more steps forward. I fell out into a clearing, a beautiful clearing. In the middle was a big lake, with light, skyblue, crystal water, with babypink flowers on Lilli pads floating on top. A big, tall Willow tree hung over the lake. the green vines sunk down into the lake, next to the stump of the tree, looking out onto the lake, was a long white bench. It was the most beautiful thing ever. And Cato was bringing me here. I knew he was. This is my place. I'm meant to be here. I wanted to sit on the bench. With Cato. I turned around and ran back to his unconscious body. while I was running back, I was just at the place where he laid when I tripped over a vine and fell on top of him. My body landed right on his stomach in a huff. Then I knew I'd welcome him up in a start.

"Ouch! What the hell? Why am I bleeding?" Cato said sitting up, lightly touching the cut on his head. I knelt down and reapplied the tissue and dapped the cut. It didn't look so bad anymore.

"I playfully pushed you in the back, and you fell and hit your head." I said quietly. Cato pulled away from me and stood up and crossed his arms. "I found the lake. It was beautiful" I said and stood up and faced him.

"Okay. Yeah. That's what I was taking you to. Let's go." He said and walked ahead of me. I was amazed he was even standing right now. I wanted to ask him about what he said before he passed out. But I was too chicken. We walked in silence to the lake again. When we got back, it took my breath away again. I noticed new things. The sounds of quiet little birds that filled the silence. The way the lake swayed in time with the vines from the tree, different things. Cato went and sat on the bench while I noticed everything new. I went and sat down next to him.

"I love it here." I breathed out.

"Me too. I thought you would. It reminds me of you." Cato said lightly. Without awkwardness. Without shyness. Just said it. And it fitted.

"Cato.." I began. I wanted so badly to know what he thought of me, I wanted him to finish the sentence. "You started to say something before you past out. About what you thought of me when you first saw me on TV." I said.

"Really? I don't remember. It's like when I'm drunk, I don't remember anything I say. I proberly just make shit up." He said simply. Like it didn't matter. Just like that, I thought I meant something to someone. I thought I could be something with someone. But no. I'm just a thought in a head. A drop in the ocean. A leaf of many leaves on the vines that are on this tree. I mean nothing. Just apart of this game. And a part of this world. One person. Without making a dent on anything or anyone.

With that, me and Cato sat silently together. Without touching, no words. Just the sounds of birds and the light sway of the wind. I could stay like this for hours.


	5. Chapter 5

All I could feel was Cato's lips on mine. Automatically they were pushed onto mine. He grabbed the back of my head and gently, but passionately kissed me. Before I had the chance to decide if I wanted to kiss him back or not, he stopped. He got up and stood back from me, and looked down on me, frightened, sitting on the white bench. While I watched him, the willow tree swayed behind him in the background. He never looked so handsome.

"What?" Cato said.

"What the hell?! Why'd you kiss me?" I yelled and stood up at him. It was like the wind was just focusing on us, it wasn't swaying peacefully anymore, it got harder and was whipping around furiously.

"I felt like it." Cato answered. He picked up at rock from the ground and threw it at the lake.

"I'm going home." I said.

"So go. Don't just stand there and look pretty. Act." Cato said. I wasn't sure if he was insulting me or criticising me. I just quickly turned my back on him and stalked into the forest. Within a few minutes, I realised I was lost. _Shit. _I cursed.

"Cato!" I yelled, trying to make noise over the sound of all the birds and wildlife in the forest. Within a few seconds, a big animal was climbing towards me. It looked like a bear, but it wasn't. I suddenly had the feeling I was back in the Capitol, with the animals and the chase. "Cato!" I screamed louder. I desperately couldn't do this again. The animal looked at me like I was a big steak, waiting on a platter. "CATO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I backed up against a tree, holding my arms around it desperately. I knew that if I tried to run it would charge at me, and I would most likely fall over. The animal was eyeing me down, taking steps towards me, one at a time. I felt paralysed. My breathing stopped and I couldn't stop shaking. _Just breathe, Katniss. Just breathe. _My head wouldn't listen to me. I was tearing out desperate sobs and I knew I was hyperventilating. I willed the bear-shaped animal to leave me alone. I begged. I was close to getting on my knees and telling it to make my death fast. Now would be a really good time to get Cato.

As if on cue, Cato jumped out of the trees and threw a long spear at the animals head. It hit it but didn't kill. The animal yelped and turned around and ran off. Cato turned to me and saw the desperate, panicked look on my face. He grabbed my body and held it to his. I immediately broke down into tears. He shushed me and told me I was going to be okay. I buried my head into his big chest and sank my sorrows there. He gently stroked my hair and when my breathing had calmed, he finally spoke.

"Didn't anyone tell you that sometimes, the forest is kinda dangerous?" He said.

"What was the animal? You should have told me, dick!" I pushed him and punched him in the stomach.

"It was a rare type of bear, the Capitol invented to keep us from coming into the woods. Never stopped me though. I hid a stack of spears and weapons in the willow tree, and when I heard you scream.." he trailed off. "Why are you so frightened?" he asked.

"Didn't you watch the show?" I said and turned my back to him and slowly walked away. I didn't know where I was going but I guessed if I kept walking I would eventually find my way back to town. I didn't even care when Cato came up behind me and touched me on my waist directing me to go a certain way. He continued to touch me there the whole way home.

When I realised I was back in town, Cato insisted on walking me home to know I got there safely. Though when he said he was going to 'walk me' he meant, walk me back to school and drive me home. When he turned down my driveway, it dawned on me that I have never seen Cato at my house before.

"How do you know where I live?" I whispered, my voice snotty and low since I've been crying.

"Never you mind that." He replied vaguely, he pulled up in front of my house, and Effie came running out like an idiot with oven mitts on.

"Where have you been!? You skipped school? How dare you, Katniss! It was your first day!" She was screaming out as I pulled myself out of Cato's low car.

"Yes, but I had good reason. I'm sorry." I said. I could see Haymitch through the window of the house, at the liquor cabinet, refilling his glass. Typical.

"You need your manners! Your principal rang up and said you had simply disappeared. You and this boy. You need to look at yourself! You can't go getting a bad name in this town!" She screamed. I know Effie doesn't mean to yell at me. She just needs to do her job. Act like a worried guardian and try to do her best on not getting me into any more trouble. "Get inside! We'll discuss it after dinner" She said, pointing directly at the house. I know she means well, that's why I feel bad in doing what I done next. By this time, Cato had gotten out of the car too and was trying to calm down the situation.

"Fine." I said to Effie, but before I went to the house, I went around the car to Cato, grabbed his head and kissed him hard and firm on the mouth. I pulled his hair, not too rough, but rough enough to make Effie extremely uncomfortable watching. I stuck my tounge quickly in his mouth and then pulled it out. I lightly tapped him on the arm and walked past Effie, giving her a sneaky wink and went into the house, slamming the door behind me.

"Quite a scene you just made. Good acting." Haymitch said, taking a sip of his Brandy whilst sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"Thank you." I said and ran upstairs to my room. I slammed that door to and went to my window which outlooks the front yard. I saw Effie talking harshly at Cato, making firm hand movements and her wig bouncing about. She turned sharply and walked into the house, leaving Cato outside and shocked. With the kiss and Effie. He looked up to my window. He could see me looking down at him because he looked eyes with me. And I smiled sincerely and he got back into his car and drove back out of my driveway. I counted to 5 and right on the mark, Effie flounced into my room and put a plate of lamb and vegetables on my bed. She didn't say anything until she was nearly at my door.

"2 weeks." She said and walked down the stairs. _Like hell. _I thought and locked my door and moved my plate to my bedside table and collapsed on my bed. _What a rough day. Is this what school is going to be like here in Hunger Heights? _I thought and fell unconscious.

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**Hey guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know my chapters haven't been that great but I'm still trying to develop the story between them. So please, please post reviews and favourite and follow and stuff. I would really appreciate the tips and your compliments and insults. Thankyou. Keep reading! **


	6. Chapter 6

"Katniss! Katniss! Wake up!" I heard in my ear. I jumped up and punched whatever was whispering in my ear, I rolled out of bed and crouched in a fighting position. When my vision focused I realised I just punched Gale in the face. He held his face delicately.

"What the hell?" Gale whispered.

"You dick! You don't bloody walk into my room at.." I looked at the clock. It was quarter past 3. "..At 3 in the morning and whisper in a girl's ear! You creep!" I yelled in a whisper voice and threw a pillow at him.

"Jesus. Sorry. I just needed to talk to you. Where the hell did you go today?" Gale said and sat down on my bed. I mirrored him.

"I left. These bitches in class..what's their names, Clove? Glimmer? Yeah, well, they were getting all up in my business. So I left. And Cato left with me." I mumbled the last line. I never wanted Gale to think less of me. Or think I was some sort of tart.

"Cato? Seriously Cato?! He's the biggest idiot in that bloody school. Why'd you leave with him?" Gale erupted. The way he talked about Cato angered me. I don't know why but I felt the sensation that I should defend him.

"What's wrong with Cato? He's nice to me, and he defended me. He gets me in a way, you know?" I said, I fidgeted with my doona covered and looked down. But I could already tell Gale was rolling his eyes at my comment.

"Cato isn't nice. To anyone. He'll hurt you, Katniss. He doesn't mean well. You know, when the 'show' was on, he made fun of you. He called you weak. He said you were the least likely to survive it." Gale said. When I heard the words come out of his mouth, I thought they couldn't be true. But then I remembered out he treated me at the start, when I first got to school. When Gale saw how taken back I was, he quietly apologised and told me not to worry about that. He told me Cato has always been a dick and not to take it to heart. It'll be a new person next week, that he'll try to drag down because he's so upset with his own life. I really couldn't say anything to him. I couldn't really say it was fine, because it wasn't. I couldn't say I was okay, because I wasn't. I just sat there. Alone. Gale stood up and kissed me on the forehead.

"I should go. I'll see you at school. No sneaking off today" he laughed and winked. He patted me on the arm and jumped out the window. Gale has always been really athletic. It was strange and it creeped me out. I couldn't stop thinking about Cato. How could he say such horrid things about me? About anyone? What had I ever done to him to want to treat me like that?

They say never go to sleep angry.

I went to sleep furious.

"Katniss! Oh my god, young girl! Wake up! You have to go to school in 20 minutes!" Effie screamed and pulled my doona off my bed. I groaned and rolled off my bed and fell onto my hard bedroom floor. "Get into the shower, Katniss!" Effie said, pulling my body up and tossing me in the shower. When I was in the shower, I was trying to remember what was, and what wasn't real. Then I remembered the forest, the bear, the kiss, Gale's talk, my death. I felt like falling back into bed and not waking up for a few more days. Though, I could tell Effie is waiting right outside my bathroom and if I took too long in the shower, she would come in and drag my naked body out of my bathroom and dress me like a little doll herself. I wouldn't let that happen. I quickly washed myself and tried to be fast enough to make roll call.

I was late to roll call. But when I walked in, it was like I walked in naked. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and looked at me, then at Cato. _What the hell? _I went and sat down in my usual seat, only once I sat down, Rue came straight over and handed me a note. Pretending to talk to me for a second, and ask normal everyday questions and then walked out of our room, once the bell went. I packed away my stuff and opened up the note and started to read it on the way to my maths classroom. In neat, tiny writing in read:

_Hey Katniss,_

_Everyone is talking about you and Cato. When I got to Rollcall, I could hear them all talking about you. All I heard was Cato saying 'She's not like that' and then you walked in. _

_I just thought you should know._

_P.S I wrote this as a note because if I said it to you then and there.._

_Clove would probably eat me for breakfast._

_Rue._

I smiled to myself. What a sweet girl. Before I knew it, the note was out of my hands and Cato was by my side reading it.

"What's this?" He asked and began to read the cursive text. His face suddenly turned from curious to dark. He crumbled the note up and tossed it into the bin and stalked away from me. I didn't really understand what just happened. I sat through Maths and English wondering what set Cato off like that. The note didn't say anything really bad or hurtful about him. If anything, Rue was sort of trying to make him see like a good guy.

But when I walked out to Lunch, the only thing I could see was a big huddle of kids standing in a circle, screaming out _FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! _Peeta was walking beside me and we both ran over to see what was going on. Peeta and I pushed our way through the huddle and when I made my way to the front, I felt like someone had pulled out my insides and started licking them right in front of me. All I could see was Clove and Glimmer, kicking their legs off, into my little friend, Rue.

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	7. Chapter 7

I felt paralysed. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Someone accidently nudged me and that's when my body kicked in. I jumped into the circle and pushed Glimmer off Rue. She fell to the ground and grunted. Clove was shocked but looked at me with confidence. I grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and punched her in the face, dropped her to the ground and kicked her in the stomach. I turned around and Glimmer pounced on me and tackled me, I pushed her off me and rolled on top. Clove came up behind me and pulled me off Glimmer by my hair. I turned around and swung at her. Another hit in the face. Glimmer punched me in the stomach and tried to hit my face but I pulled a quick duck.

"Rue! Get out of here!" I yelled at her while Clove and Glimmer tackled me and stood on my hands and feet. Rue looked at me and started to disagree. "Just go, Rue!" I yelled. Peeta came up behind Rue and gently pulled her up of the ground and guided her out of the circle. I tried to get out of Clove and Glimmers out, Clove leaned down on me and whispered in my ear:

"Guess all of your fires run out." And giggled, she leaned over my face and I spat in it. She cursed and tried to rub her face and accidently let go of my arms. I pounced up and stood up, holding my ground and in a fighting stance. Clove was still cleaning her face to Glimmer ran at me and I ducked her swing, I turned back to her and swung at her again. But she ducked. Before I could land another swing, big bulk hands came up behind me and pulled me away. I fought against them and tried to go back to the circle and teach those girls a lesson. I was pushed into a wall and Cato stood in front of me. He looked angry and tough. But so did I.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" I yelled at him

"Calm down, Katniss." Cato said in a calm voice, but he was losing his patience with me.

"Don't tell me to calm down. Two junior girls were beating up and hurting a poor little freshman all because of a note telling me that people have been saying shit behind my back! This is your fault! Why were you so pissed off about the note?" I yelled. My anger was at the point where no matter what anyone said, they couldn't calm me down.

"I wasn't pissed off at the note. But that 'little girl' shouldn't be going around saying shit about my friends or me, and shouldn't be eavesdropping on conversations." The way Cato spoke astonished me. How could he think that this is okay? Or think that Rue deserved to be beaten up.

"Fuck you. You are friends with those people? The ones that bully people, hurt people, make a person feel so bad about themselves they just want to lock themselves in their room and change every single aspect of their life? These people make others' lives hell. Just for fun. What did you have against me? Why did you feel the need to say that I'm weak? That I couldn't survive the show? To make fun of me? Do you find it enjoyable to wish upon someone's death?" I said. But this time I didn't yell. I spoke in a reasonable tone. He could really hear me. Understand what I was saying. I wanted him to feel like dirt. I wanted to give him a wakeup call and figure out that he can't keep going on like this. Cato did look scared. Or astonished. Or hurt. I really couldn't tell.

"Where did you hear all that?" Cato breathed out, looking down at the ground.

"You're not going to deny it? Go ahead, look at the fucking ground. You should be ashamed of yourself." I replaced my bag on my back and walked past him. He didn't move. Didn't speak. Didn't breathe.

And I felt exactly the same way.

"What happened?" Effie asked looking at my bruised stomach while I poured this bruising cream all over it.

"Don't even worry. Not worth talking about. I'm fine. We've delt with it all before right?" I choked out. I looked up to Effie. Pain written all over my face. My eyes were full of water. My voice shivered along with my body. "That's what it was all about right? All about the show? All about the bruises and the memories that you were beaten up to the state where you couldn't talk for two weeks? Or couldn't walk for a month? To the state where you would rather die than go on cause you just know the pain isn't worth it anymore." I cried out. Effie ran to me in her big pink heels and hugged me, tightly around her. She shushed me and told me it was going to be okay.

"Everyone has been saying that. That it's going to be okay. It's not going to be okay. NONE OF THIS IS OKAY. My parents were killed. I am hurt. Not just physically. Emotionally. I don't want to deal with anymore shit. It follows me. The pain. I can't escape it. Just help me, Effie. Help me." I begged. I begged for her help. Although we both knew there was nothing anyone could do. I wanted to curl up into a ball and die. Effie kept her arms around me and we didn't move. She cried with me and we lied down together and fell asleep. Her hand on mine. Me and Effie haven't really ever been affectionate to each other. We were clearly very close. But never like this, it was nice. To know that someone cared. I needed that. I needed the security that someone was staying. I felt like I sort of had it for awhile.


	8. Chapter 8

When I woke up, the reminder of everything that happened yesterday made me groan and pull the covers tighter around my body. I then noticed that Effie wasn't there. Just like that, she came through my bedroom door, wearing another completely ridiculous outfit, I don't understand why Effie kept insisting on looking like a rainbow every minute of the day. Did she want people to know she's from the Capitol. I told her to get out and leave me alone. I snapped at her accidently. I quickly apologised and she said it was okay if I stayed home today. She said she understands that I am going through a lot. To call her if I need anything and to get something done around here and get my mind of something. She quietly left and didn't come back up until three days later.

"How are you today, Katniss?" Effie chimed. She sat next to me on the bed, I think we were both slightly on edge from our big step into our relationship.

"I feel like shit. Do I have to go to school?" I asked, pleading with her. You would think that from the state I was in last night she'd give me this day off.

"The principal rang. He told me all about the fight. What were you thinking?" Effie said to me, her forehead creasing in and wrinkles forming.

"These two girls were beating up a little freshman! These two Juniors! It was ridiculous. I don't know, I didn't think, I just did what I thought was right. And I know I was right on this one." I told her, she couldn't possibly think that I would get into a fight for a stupid reason. It was already giving me nightmares. Reminding me of the games. Effie didn't say anything, she just exhaled and sat there, knowing there was nothing she could say to argue with me. "Do I have to go to school today, Effie?" I pleaded. Giving her the best puppy-dog eyes I could come up with.

"The principal insists on it. He said those three days were fine. But you have to go today or you'll be suspended." Effie said, standing off my bed and watching my reaction. I simply groaned loudly and fell back into bed and tossed my doona off me.

"I'll be down in 20 minutes." I mumbled, my eyebrows facing down into my eyelashes as I sat in my bed, feeling sorry for myself. _Come on, Katniss. Get up. _I ordered myself. And get up, I did.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

I walked into the school gates with my head held high. My back straight like a ruler and my two bestfriends by my side. They were probably the only way I got through the day on most days. Gale dropped me off at my roll call and gave me a sympathetic smile as he knew, the next few minutes will be the worst of the days. I was first into roll call. Rue came in second with a bruised eye. I called her over to sit with me, while I protectively examined her eye.

"Jesus, are you okay?" I asked in concern, I noticed that Cato came in laughing with Thresh but immediately stopped when he saw me in the room. I felt like spitting on him like I did on Clove. Speaking of the devil. Or devils. Clove and Glimmer walked in last with dark eyes, a broken nose and other dark spots all over their body. I immediately broke out in laughter, I tried to cover it with a cough but they all knew I was laughing at how weak these girls were. These pathetic, sad excuse for a human girls. They glared at me harshly and sat down next to the boys. Glimmer put her arm around Cato's neck and pulled his face towards hers and started kissing his lips. He seemed to respond to their quick, meaningful kisses. They snogged for a few seconds until our teacher came in a coughed loudly, making them come up for air and Glimmer laughed a loud giggle in my direction and smirked evilly at me. _Bitch. _Cato looked over to me and I quickly turned away before I could notice what sort of expression he had on his face. I wonder if it was hurt, or smug, or any feeling that gave me some sort of signal that Cato infact had some sort of life beneath that cool exterior. I fell back into my chair and scoffed. "What are they some sort of couple?" I mumbled to Rue. She sniffled a giggle and whispered in my ear.

"Sort of. I think they're sort of on and off all the time. I think Cato doesn't even like her though. Quick laugh loudly so they think I'm telling you something really funny about them." She said, I reacted immediately and laughed loudly, covering my hand over my mouth but letting the noise escape. I looked over to them and they were all looking at me, questioningly. I flipped my hair, smugly and grabbed my bag once the bell had gone and flung it over my shoulder. I wanted to stay away from Cato. And he wanted to stay away from me. Our conversation didn't end to well. I think we wouldn't be talking ever again, in all honesty.

"What the hell is your problem?" Cato yelled at me and jumped in front of me so I couldn't move out of his way. He had his arms crossed around his chest and looked down on my angrily.

"Do I have a problem? Oh right, my problem would be where, when I was stuck in a life-threatening game, taught to kill people and fight for my life, you were sitting here. Like a smug piece of shit, making fun of me. Telling people I was weak. That I wouldn't survive and that I had no chance. That, Cato, that would be my problem right now." I breathed out. I tried to step past him but he moved in rhythm with me and stopped me from going anyway. "Would you leave me alone?!" I yelled.

"No. I want to explain. I never meant any of that. I was threatened by you. When I first saw you I thought you were beautiful. I first saw you when I was 13, I was down at the clearing and I saw you in the woods with Gale. Hunting. I thought you were perfect. And then I saw the way you were with him. I was jealous. I wanted you. All to myself. I tried to speak to you for the next 3 years but I could never, you were always with him. I could never find you alone so I just sat there. Being invisible to you. And you never noticed me. Then I was told you were moving to the Capitol with your parents, that your dad was doing something down there, and I thought 'great. I can finally get over her. So when you moved, I started dating Glimmer, she was hot. I thought 'why not'. But I never forgot you. Not once. Then you were put into the games. I thought for sure were gonna die. That I would never see you again. When I started insisting on watching it with all my friends, they started to notice how I got jumpy when you were on the screen, or how I would stop breathing whenever I saw someone coming for you. Assholes being assholes, they started making fun of me, saying I loved you when I was with Glimmer and stuff. So I started denying it but it came to a stage where I had to say cruel things about you. Things I never meant. Things you were never supposed to hear. When you won the games, then your parents were killed, and then I was told you were moving back here. I didn't know what to do. Everyone was like 'Oh, Cato. That girls coming into our roll call. Let's say something funny to her.' And I done it. I acted like a dick. And you noticed me. When your eyes met mine, I was lost. And I knew, at that moment. I would never. Ever. Be able to let you go." Cato finished. Letting out a huge breath, he turned on his heel and walked away from me.

I stood there. Frozen. Barely breathing. _What the hell was that?_ I thought.


	9. Chapter 9

I didn't know how to act for the rest of the day. I couldn't stop shaking. Gale and Peeta kept asking me what happened. I couldn't even find the words to try to tell them what happened with Cato. Every time I thought about it, a cold shiver ran down my spine. My legs carried me out of school when the school bell rang. Peeta offered me a lift but I told him I wanted to walk, to clear my head and stuff. Though, my house is more than an hour walk from school.

I walked down the scrabby, dirty, highway road and headed for home. Do I like Cato? Do I feel the same? When I see Cato, do I have a big sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and I feel the need to kiss him desperately? Yes. That feeling is definitely there. The way he spoke about me today, it frightened me. I was scared of his words. But there was something. I didn't know what was underneath. But I couldn't just let his confession go. Because it was so much, but I didn't know how to go about it. Did I want to be with Cato?

* * *

When I got home from my long walk, Haymitch was passed out on the couch, and Effie sat on the floor trying to get the Scotch stain out of the carpet. I chuckled to myself and ran upstairs. I paced with myself for a good hour. Thinking things like 'I like Cato, but do I trust him?' and 'Cato brings out a side of me that no one else has seen before, but will that make people think I've changed?'. In the end, I tore myself down, saying how much of an idiot I was for not being able to decide if I should tell my bestfriends or not. By the time I finished rocking back and forth, pulling out my hair and debating with myself if I like a guy or not, it was 1 O'clock in the morning. I went to my bathroom and splashed cold water over my face. I pulled out my phone and scrolled down to Gale's name and pressed the dial button. I quickly jumped up and down and pressed the phone, directly to my ear and felt the phone ring against my ear.

"Hello? Katnip? What the hell are you doing, ringing me at..bloody one in the morning?" Gale croaked. I jumped when I heard his voice come into the phone.

"Oh. Um. Hey, Gale! I need your assistance." I spoke quickly. I sounded like I had too much Red Bull.

"Ugh. What?" Gale groaned on the other end of the phone. I didn't need Gale's bitchiness right now. This was an emergency.

"Where does Cato live?"

* * *

"Ow! Fucking hell!" I yelled in a whisper when I hit my foot climbing onto Cato's top story roof. I tried to be as quiet as possible and when I attempted to tiptoe across the roof and look into all the windows, the neighbour's dog started barking at me. I peeped my head into one of the two windows in the top story, I saw, what I assumed, was Cato's mother and father, lying in bed reading quietly. _Okay, Katniss, quick. Gotta be quick. Go! _I tried to be as fast as possible and quickly tiptoed past that window without being seen. I nearly fell off on the slippery tiles of the roof but I caught the head of second window. It would have been a lot easier if Gale told me which window Cato was in. I knew this one had to be Cato's. I peered around the window and into the window. I couldn't notice everything that was happening. But when my vision finally focused, I was staring through a window at a very, adult looking bedroom that had Cato, half naked in it.

I nearly fell off the roof.

Which made Cato look exactly through the window into my eyes. He jumped back about 5 feet and yelped loudly. He grabbed and held his chest tightly and tried to catch his breath. I opened up his window and slipped through, trying to look as seductive as possible. But looking at me wasn't really Cato's main priority right now, him trying not to die of heart attack probably was.

"What the hell are you doing, Katniss?" Cato spoke in a hushed whisper and breathed several times until he could start keeping a steady heart rate. I couldn't help but stare at his body, his tan body accenting abs and hipbones and pecks. I felt like fainting right there.

"I, um, I, sort of. Jesus I don't know. Could you just come over here and kiss me and make this a whole lot easier for me?" I begged. Cato was taken aback. He looked at me questioningly. I just shrugged.

"Oh. You want to, right. Um, okay. Sure." Cato stumbled, I stood there like an idiot, I wasn't entirely sure if Cato would actually kiss me. But he put his hand on the back of his neck and shook his head disorderedly. He sort of fell his way over to me. We stood about 2 feet away from each other. "Uh, do you really want me to kiss you?" Cato asked. I nodded. He cleared the two metres between each other. We looked into each other's eyes. "So, um.." He started to lean down to my face.

"Yeah, just.." I tried to help the awkward situation, we both sort of coughed and cleared the air and Cato kept leaning down to my face and I leaned up, our lips lightly touched each other's and then, after that first feeling of his mouth, we both couldn't help us. He grabbed my waist and held me tight against him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down to my height and our kisses got longer and more passionate. We kept breaking our kisses and breathing into each other's faces. But then he would just grab my face again and kiss me for a longer time. We opened our mouths slightly, inviting each other in. His strong arms were around my petite body and then I started pushing him towards his large bed.

He leaned down onto the bed and I climbed on top of him. He held my thighs and lifted me in the air and laid me on top of his body. Our lips never broke apart. He held my face and continued to play with my hair away from our kisses. But out of nowhere, Cato pulls away.

"What's going on here? Why did you come through my window? Why did you ask me to kiss you? Why are we on my bed right now, minutes away from going further?" Cato said, I pulled up from his hold and fell onto the bed next to him.

"I don't know. After you said all those things to me, I didn't know what to do. I walked all the way home from school, went straight to my room and paced, and paced, and didn't stop until about an hour ago. I guess I just realised, when I'm with you. Things are easy. You're easy. And with you, you bring out this side, and you protect me. I just guess, this feels right." I said. While those words were coming out of my mouth, I kept wanting to slap myself for saying such stupid stuff. But Cato just smiled and leant over to me and gave me a kiss.

"I'm glad to hear it." He said and flung himself off his bed. I skidded off after him. He looked out his window. "I want you to tell me what happened. With your parents. I never got the story." He turned back to me, his back at the window. When I heard those words, I immediately wanted to run out of his house and away from this conversation. Cato saw my face and power walked up to me and put his hands on the sides of my face and my neck. "I just want to know what makes you, you. You know? If it's too hard it's okay." Cato said and kissed my forehead. I shook my head.

"It's okay." I breathed a few times and begged my mind to find the words to explain what happened to my parents. "Okay, so I won the game. But I shouldn't have. Then when I got out, the Gamemakers and President Snow came to my house and tried to make me do things. I couldn't do the things. So I refused. They told me there would be consequences. I mocked them, asking them what they could do to make my life even worse. At that time, I didn't think it could. Then I came home one afternoon before my parents and some security people, or whatever you want to call them, were there. Waiting for me, they put a bag around my head and tied me up and locked me in the closet. Then, once my parents came home, they couldn't find me. And my father guessed it. He said the Capitol must have done it, and went straight to them. All I know was Haymitch, Effie and Peeta came rummaging through my apartment and they heard my tears. Peeta opened the closet and they all untied me. I asked where my parents were. Effie wrapped her arms around me and told me that they were gone. That they had been in a 'car accident'. Or that's just what people were calling it. The gamemakers killed them for threatening to tell him everything they've done. To me and everyone else who was in the games. So we disappeared. Effie and Haymitch took me and Peeta back and Peeta got reunited with his family and all was well. Apart from where every night, I have a blinding pain in my chest, knowing that it's my fault my parents were killed." I was crying in the process of trying to tell Cato the story. When he heard my voice break, he wrapped his arms tighter around me and kissed my shoulder while I struggled to go on. I breathed in and out and tried to calm my emotions down by screaming silently at my body. "I'm okay." I told him when my eyes stopped bleeding salt water.

"Katniss, what things did they tell you to do?" He asked quietly.

"They told me to kill Peeta." I whispered at him.

Cato held me while I cried and spooned me from behind and pleaded with me to stay the night. We set the alarm for 6 and he'd drive me home. I nodded and we laid down, my back to him and him lightly kissing me in all the right places. I slowly drifted to sleep with Cato's arms around my body.

* * *

The next day of school was sweet and sour at all different, random times. Cato kept sneaking me quick glances and when we were sitting next to each other in classes, he'd slide his hand on my leg or link his fingers in mine under the table. But, the downside was I kept getting dirty glances from Clove and Glimmer and at Lunch, when I sat with Peeta and Gale at lunch, they seemed off. Just before the bell rang, Gale turned to me.

"Hey, Peeta and I need to talk to you. After school. It's kind of important. Meet us at his car?" Gale asked quickly and walked off to Lunch before I could even nod a reply. I looked at Peeta for answers but he just dropped his head and avoided eye contact with me.

"What is going on?!" I yelled at Peeta. He mumbled something quietly and grabbed his bag and flounced off to his next class.

* * *

"Okay, so could you two idiots please tell me what's going on now?" I said when we all hopped out of Peeta's car at the town park.

"Yes. Just come sit down with us. We need to talk" Peeta said and gestured towards a table. We all walked over and I sat directly in front of Gale and Peeta.

"Okay. So what the hell is up?" I asked, begging for them to get straight to the point.

"Okay. We'll be fast. So, um." Peeta tried to start but was tripping over all his words. He was using a lot of hand gestures towards me, trying to mime out the situation. I rolled my eyes and played nervously with my hair. Whatever they were trying to explain must be big because I've never seen such a big build up like this before.

"Peeta, it's okay. We can tell her. She's our bestfriend." Gale smiled at Peeta and brought his hands on top of the table and put his hand over Peeta's and their fingers joined automatically together. They smiled at each other and bit their lips. I felt like my whole world had stopped. Gale and Peeta? No, no. It couldn't be. It must be a friendship. No. They're not gay.

"Katniss..Gale and I..we're gay." Peeta smiled at me.


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm sorry, what?" I barely had the strength to even talk. It's not that I was upset, I was just more shocked then if I found out I had a few hours to live.

"We're gay. It sort of just happened, yano." Gale giggled. Gale is big and strong and manly, how could he be gay?

"Well, so my turn. I'm with Cato. Ha!" I yelled and giggled right back. Peeta and Gale rolled their eyes and sniffed a laugh.

"Obviously. You think Peeta doesn't notice when he rubs your leg and you two holds hand in class?" Gale sarcastically commented at me. They both stood up and I followed them back to their car and Peeta drove me home.

* * *

"Yes, well, me and Haymitch are trying but you know how Katniss can be.." Effie tittered as I walked into the house, I usually just run upstairs and mind me own business but the way Effie was trying to charm someone, seduced me to walk into the kitchen and find Effie and Cato sitting on the dining table laughing together and laughing.

"What the hell?" I asked shocked. Why is Cato at my house?

"Hey, I was just around the area and thought I'd stop by and say hi." Cato smiled at me and stood up.

"Katniss, you didn't tell me you have a boyfriend!" Effie chimed and grabbed Cato's arm sweetly. My head automatically fell into my hand and I crinkled my face up in annoyance at my so called 'Aunt'.

"He's not my.." I tried to finish the sentence but I really just couldn't get there. I didn't know what me and Cato were.

"Anyway, it was good talking to you, Effie. I guess I'll just see you at school then, Katniss." Cato smiled and started to escape from the kitchen but Effie would budge.

"No, Cato! You must definitely stay for dinner! It'll be ready in about an hour or so." Effie smiled and got up and ran over to the stove. I sighed and grabbed his hand and tugged him upstairs to my room.

"Ugh, sorry about that. She..has problems" I said, while I opened my door and let him into my room. Cato laughed and looked around. There wasn't anything strangely weird in here but I felt really self-conscious.

"Nice." Was all Cato said and turned back to me, smiling. I smiled back and dropped my head.

"Uh, thanks." I said and walked up to him, he automatically wrapped his arms around my waist and bent down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

"Thank YOU for that" Cato chuckled and kissed me again. When our kisses became more heated and passionate, Cato pulled away suddenly. "You know how Effie said I'm your boyfriend. Am i?" Cato asked, slightly nervous.

"I dunno. Are you? I'm not good at this stuff." I said, rubbing my hands up and down my arms, nervously.

"Sure, alright. I'm your boyfriend." Cato smiled.

"Just like that?" I questioned. What the hell was he going on about? We hardly knew each other.

"Just like that." He repeated and grabbed my waist tighter and pulled me towards him. He bent down towards me and kissed me longer. I sniffed a giggle and kissed him back. They became longer and hotter. I ran my fingers through his short blonde hair and his hands slowly slid from my back to my ass. I pushed my tongue into his mouth, approving. He slowly gave it a tight, soft squeeze and started guiding me towards my bed. I slowly bent down onto it and he climbed on top of me. I grew tired of the same thing, as if Cato read my mind, he slowly kissed away from my mouth and down to my neck. Flickering his tongue to my skin, hardly but it was there. I moaned in satisfaction and gripped his hair tighter and my hands dropped from there to his shoulder blades. I could feel his muscles change from place to place as he dropped down closer or back up further. His hands glided from my sides, up to my stomach and under my shirt. The way his hands were against my skin was like magic. His lips floated up back to my lips and he slipped his tongue back into my mouth. He leaned back off of me and brought me to the top of his body and I leaned down on him and pushed my hair away from my face. He cradled my face gently then slid away and leaned on my back. Our kisses never broke. My breathing got heavy and I felt like I shouldn't breathe out onto him in case I had bad breath.

"You know Effie could come in any time right?" I laughed, trying not to leave his lips.

"Doesn't faze me. She loves me." Cato breathed out and lifted my legs up and leant up so I sat on his lap and held my ribs. I could feel Cato's erection against me. I carefully lifted my knee and brushed it against his boner. Cato moaned deeply and climbed on top of me again.

"CATO, KATNISS, DINNER!" Effie yelled from downstairs. Clearly she knows what would happen with two hormonal teens in a bedroom, and not planning to walk in on it. I mentally thanked her, and wiggled my body out of Cato's and he sulked disapprovingly. I grabbed his head and pulled him back out of my room and into the kitchen.

* * *

I went into the kitchen the next day and pulled a green apple from the fruit bowl.

"Well, well, well. You're boyfriend seems..sweet." Haymitch smirked and waltzed into the kitchen.

"Thankyou." I smiled. "It topped off the dinner when you passed out on your plate." I said and kissed him on the cheek and ran out the front door to Cato waiting in his car for me.

"So, what are you planning to happen when we walk into school and all your friends look at us?" I said while Cato drove us to school. He smiled when he heard my question.

"I guess you were right. They were never really my friends." Cato said lightly and shrugged like dropping your friends were nothing. I didn't touch the subject again. But when we got to School. We both got out of the car and eyes were automatically on us. Cato laughed and pulled me closer to him and grabbed my hand tightly.

We walked into roll call and Glimmer's face was like Christmas. She looked at us, then down at our hands then her mouth dropped open and she growled in frustration. Clove scoffed and glared at Cato.

"Nice to know where you loyalty is, Cato." Clove spat and turned back towards Glimmer. Cato coughed quietly and went and sat with me in my back corner.

"You don't have to do this." I whispered to him.

"I do." He whispered back.

The rest of the day was full of stares off random people and popular people glaring. We sat with Gale and Peeta at lunch but even they were staring. Before they could pull away, I had an outburst.

"It's not that weird!" I yelled, half laughing at the same time. Gale, Peeta and Cato all laughed and turned back, fascinated with their lunches.

* * *

Cato drove me home and kissed me goodbye before I hopped up and skidded up the front stairs. Before I could open the door, it was quickly opened for me. Effie stood in the front door, the look on her face was full of warning, afraid, frightened and anger. I immediately felt afraid and wanted to help whatever was bothering Effie.

"Katniss. Welcome home. A friend has come to visit." Effie smiled and stepped aside for me to come in. I cautiously stepped through the threshold and became face to face with the one person I never expected to see again.

"Katniss Everdeen. Long time, no see." The old man smiled and opened up his arms.

"President Snow."

* * *

**Hey, everyone. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a quick write but I felt I couldn't leave you guys hanging. So, I hope you enjoyed. Sorry, if there is any grammatical errrors. I apologise. I am very quite tired. Please, post reviews. Favourite, follow. Anything to let me know you are enjoying. Thankyou and Keep reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

"Dearest, Katniss. How are you?" President Snow smiled at me and kissed me on the cheek. When he came so close to me, I had to physically fight the urge to twist his neck around and break it.

"Oh, you know. Life isn't the best. After my parents were tragically killed in that 'car accident', it's been really hard. You know how it is. Don't you, President?" I smiled. I wanted him to be afraid. Very afraid. I wanted him to shake and turn red and get on his knees and beg for my forgiveness.

But that wasn't the President Snow, I knew.

He smiled sympathetically and walked through to the dining room and invited me to sit, like this was his house and I was the guest. I rolled my eyes away from his gaze and sat down furthest away from him.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned him and he chuckled delightfully.

"I've been here for quite a while, my dear. By the way, how is your boyfriend, Ceto?" President Snow laughed. I balled my fists up at his teasing and coughed my curses away.

"Cato." I smiled, pleasantly. "And good. Very good. I should have known you would have spies watching me. Oh, silly me." I laughed painfully. President Snow's humour had gone away now.

"Well, Katniss. I am here because I am upset. You disobeyed us. And then you disappeared. The only reason we asked you to do that task because what Peeta done to us was wrong. He made us look like fools.." President Snow spoke calmly.

"He saved my life. You all were going to kill me." I growled through my tensed teeth.

"Nonsense. We would never have done that." He protested and fluttered his hand as if my comment was the most obnoxious thing he'd ever heard.

"President Snow, I would like you to leave me house, please." I soothed out and stood politely up out my chair.

"We have not finished our conversation, Katniss."

"Oh, I believe we have." I spat.

"I want you to come back to the Capitol. It is the best thing for everyone around you, right now." President Snow said and stood over me, rebuttoning his suit jacket.

"No."

"Katniss, I have warned you before. If you disobey my orders, there will be consequences." President Snow growled evilly.

"You can't do anything worse than what you have already done, President." I stood up to him. He shook his head and walked out of the dining room in a huff. Effie politely thanked him for coming all the way from the Capitol for a visit. He thanked her back and slammed the front door behind him.

"Katniss!" Effie yelled and ran into the room.

"Don't even start, Effie." I demanded and ran up to my room. Although this time she didn't accept my request. She ran up behind me.

"Katniss, what happened?!" Effie required.

"He wants me to come back to the Capitol with him." I cried. I fell onto my bed and collapsed in my pillows. "Why does this all come back to me? Why are they insisting to ruin my life?" I begged her for answers. She tittered her high heels along my cream carpet and came and put her arms around my shoulders.

"I know you have been through a lot. But justice will come, Katniss. I believe it." She soothed and rubbed my back. She slowly and cautiously kissed my hair and quietly tiptoed out of my room. I cried to myself and clutched my heart as it ached. I heard my phone beep and I lazily pulled it to me and looked down to my new message.

_Cato: Where are you?_

I smiled happily and texted back that I'll be over soon. I checked my broken down face in the mirror and wiped the tears from my face. I went over to my bedside window and slowly slid out and jumped into my tree by my window.

* * *

"Cato!" I yelled in a whisper and tapped his window lightly. He appeared in less than 5 seconds and rolled his eyes at me and slid up his window.

"Katniss, it's 5 in the afternoon. Why are you using the window?" he chuckled. I shrugged and outstretched my arms and he pulled me into my arms and carried me in. "What's up?" He asked while he sat me down on his dark bedding sheets.

"President Snow dropped by my house and told me to come back with him to the Capitol." I confessed and breathed that I could talk to Cato about it. His face quickly changed from neutral to shock and concern.

"God, are you okay? Are you going to? What happened?" I could feel my emotions and tears threatening to make reappearance. I shook my head because my words would come out and my voice would crack and I would definitely break. Cato shook his head and stood up in front of me and held out his hand.

"Let's go." He said. I looked up and sniffed and raised my eyebrows.

"What?" I asked.

"Trust me." He smiled and wiggled his hand to me and smirked. I grabbed his hand and we jumped out the window together.

* * *

"You're place. You're lake." I smiled when Cato brought me into the clearing and I breathed in the smell of the forest and the safety of the trees.

"Our place. Our lake." Cato smiled and squeezed my hand. We walked to the bench and we sat down and I rested my head on Cato's shoulder. I breathed in his scent and I could sense the smile curling on his face.

"You're going to be okay, Katniss." Cato whispered lightly. I nodded, my eyes getting watery again. He kissed my forehead and I pushed my head into his neck.

"I can't handle all this, Cato. I can't do it." I whispered, my voice breaking slightly. He rubbed my arms up and down.

"You're strong. You won the Games. You can do anything." He encouraged me and squeezed my body for a short second.

"Not for my whole life. These past months since I've been out of them have been just as bad when I was in the games. Full of death and gore, and hurt and more hurt. Full of threats and mean people. I don't want to deal with it." I cried to him.

"You'll get through it." He reassured me. "I'm here." He promised.

"No one's here. No one stays. No one can promise because promised break, Cato." I whispered and sunk into him more.

"I will. I'm here. I will protect you no matter what. Okay? Just trust me on that, Katniss. Please." Cato hushed. He seemed slightly upset that I didn't trust him. I couldn't trust anyone anymore.

"I can't believe that everything will be okay anymore. Because I know it won't be until President Snow is dead, any the stupid, bloodsucking Capitol goes down with him." I growled.

"And he will. Soon." Cato confirmed and kissed my hair again. "Why don't you be happy for now? With me? You're fine, baby." Cato purred and lifted my chin and kissed my lips. I puckered them back and clutched him tighter. So I did just what he asked. I sat there, enjoying this moment with Cato. And I told myself that I'm okay. That I will be fine.

May this be this moment be the best of my past and the worst of my future. I prayed in my mind.

* * *

**Hello, my lovely readers. I hope you are enjoying the story. Please post reviews. I really loved all the ones you have posted so far! They're all so lovely! So please continue, giving me advice and telling me what you like and dislike. Please favourite and follow and all that. Thankyou all! Keep reading and enjoying. I hope I'm doing a good job! Let me know!**


	12. Authors Note

Hey guys, I just started writing the next chapter and I'm having such a writers blank on what to write about next. I know what I want to happen in the story soon but I need some other stuff to build the story with.

So, my readers, being how amazing you all are, I would like you to post reviews and tell me what you would like to happen in my chapter. Please don't hold back. I would like to hear everything you think. I need serious help on what to have in my next chapter.

So, post reviews on what you would like to see what happens next and I promise to read every one of the. I am on my knees begging for your help right now. Pretty please.

Thankyou, darling readers. I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile but I just have no idea. Please keep reading and posting and I'll try to have the new chapter updated soon!


	13. Chapter 13

I was slammed against the cold tile wall of the white, girls bathroom in my school. Clove and Glimmer held me there by my collar of my shirt. I struggled against them, but Clove spat in my face and whispered 'Karma' in my ear. I growled and pushed them off me.

"What the hell?! You can't just grab me and pull me into the bathrooms and beat me up? What's your problem?" I spat to the floor and loosened my stiff body up. Clove and Glimmer rolled their eyes and grabbed me again, held me at the cold wall. Another few girls surrounded us, all smirking at them. "Get off me!" I yelled and kicked Glimmer in the shin. She screamed and drops her arms from my neck and I try to pounce away from them put Clove uses all her strength and turns me around and slams my face into the wall. I groan as she holds my back and pinches it.

"You're a pain in our ass, Everdeen. We're sick of dealing with your shit. You've fucked up Cato. Turned him against us. Ever since you came here, you've pulled us down. You're a piece of shit, Katniss. You didn't deserve to survive the Games. You deserve everything you get." Clove spat and kicked me in the stomach. I yelped in pain and clutched my stomach.

"What was your point in doing all this? Why are you bothering to do this? Are you that sad with your own pathetic life?" I called and sunk to the floor whilst holding my bruised stomach.

"You don't really deserve an answer. But you fucked with our lives. And I want my life back. You shouldn't be here" Glimmer glowered at me and lead the pack of girls out. I pushed half my body up and leant against the wall. I breathed in several times and sat there for a few minutes. _Come on, Katniss. Shake it off. _I ordered myself. I huffed out a big breath then pulled myself up. I looked at myself in the mirror, I brushed back some stuck out hair and patted my face. I shot myself a fake smile in the mirror and walked out of the girls bathroom, keeping it in order. I walked out into our junior area and I saw Glimmer and Clove standing together whispering. I looked around more and could see Cato standing with a few of the jocks at school I'm not really familiar with. I breathed in again and looked around for Gale or Peeta or maybe Rue. I looked back to Clove and Glimmer who nodded at each other and Glimmer gracefully glided away from Clove and walked in the direction of Cato. Before a few steps until contact, Cato looked up and saw her coming. Glimmer practically pounced on Cato and pushed her lips against his.

Bitch.

Bitch. Bitch. Bitch.

I growled and wanted to pull Glimmers throat out. My anger boiled in my blood and I felt my body begin to shake and I felt shivers run down my spine. I wasn't bothered with Cato. She was praying on him, hunting him down. I told my body to rush over and punch Glimmer in the face. _Now! Walk! _I commanded my body. I felt my legs crawl toward where Glimmer was groping my boyfriend. It felt like I had been watching this scene for minutes when it was merely seconds. I stopped in my tracks when I looked closer to the two people. I felt my body shut down and my breathing stopped. I squinted my eyes to know if I was seeing this right.

Cato's lips puckering back towards Glimmer's.

* * *

**Hey, guys. Sorry for such a short chapter. But I have to go to bed because of school tomorrow. Also, because I wanted to leave alot of suspense. I hope you enjoyed the twist. Very small twist but there will be plenty more to come! Please, let me know what you think. I love everyone's feedback.**

**Keep reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

"Piece of shit" I spat. Glimmer glided down off of Cato's body and their lips parted slowly. I closed my eyes slowly and asked God if this was a dream. I begged I was imagining something. I reopened and Cato's face was staring at mine. Shocked. I shook my head slowly and tried to breath. Although it wasn't going so smoothly. Cato didn't know what to say, he shook his head and tried to take a step towards me, I was fifty metres away but I still skidded a step back from his body. He dropped his head in shame and looked back up to my eyes pleading. I don't understand. Why would he? How could he? I get why Glimmer would do it. She hated me. But Cato hated her. And then he started kissing her? Why would he? I ran my hair through my hair and shook my body. Glimmer smirked at me and giggled and walked off with Clove in a catwalk stride. Cato took another step towards me.

"Stay away from me." I said. A low whisper but he heard it like it was the last words I'd ever say to him. I hoped they were. _Fuck you. _I mouthed at him and he understood that pretty damn well too. Cato shook his head again and tried to plead with his eyes. I walked around the closet building and threw up, around the corner into the bin.

"Katniss, I.." Cato pressed when he came around the corner and lifted my braid out of the bin.

"Leave me alone, Cato! I want nothing to do with you anymore." I screamed at first but finished my last sentence in a cool, cold voice. Cato looked deeply hurt and I felt pleasure from that. I wanted him to feel bad. I wanted him to apologise until I figured out what I wanted. I don't date cheaters. But it's not that, it's that I can't trust him. I can't trust anyone. Now I don't want to. My eyes welled up but I demanded them not to come.

_You are strong, Katniss. Come on. Believe it. You don't need anyone to depend on. You are independent. _I replayed the words that Peeta said to me before I went into the Games.

_Boys will not make you cry, Katniss. Men are simply not worth the tears. _Those were the words Mum said to me and I had a crush in preschool, on a guy who pushed me over.

My eyes turned dark towards Cato's and I flicked my braid out of his hand and walked past him. I told myself that I have to stop ditching school. So I impatiently sat through the rest of my classes for the day and looked out the window towards the forest and tapped my body in my chair, irritably sat in my chair and wished to go have a run and clear my head. I twitched my body and kept flexing my back muscles as I waited to the final bell to ring.

"Katniss, would you like to help me with dinner?" Effie asked as I skidded down the stairs in a tight black shirt, my exercise shorts, and my runners.

"I'm not hungry, I'm going for a run." I growled and ran out the door.

"Katniss!" Effie yelled and ran out the door after me, cafeful not to slip over on her heels. "Are you okay?" She asked sincerely.

"Good as gold." I spoke and turned my back to her and ran off.

I didn't even know where I was running while I jumped, ran and crawled from all places around Hunger Heights. I didn't realise I was in the forest until I nearly tripped over a branch on the ground. I run to think. So think. Cato. Kissing Glimmer. Rolling through my head, I kept picturing them. Swat it out of my head.

President Snow. Consequences. What will they be? When will they come? Screw that bastard.

_Run faster, Katniss._ I sprinted past the trees and jumped over all the barriers stopping my way. I loved the way the wind flew past my skin, sending shivers up my spine. I felt the beads of sweat form on the back of my neck and around my face and body. _Faster, Katniss, faster. _I listened to my head and tried to quicken my pace. I couldn't get any faster than the speed I was now. I couldn't even see the shapes of the trees anymore, all I could see was blurs flying past me. I stayed like that until the thoughts of Cato and Glimmer and President Snow came flooding into my head.

_Stop, Katniss, stop. _I halted to a stop and kept rolling my feet over to a slow walk. I wiped the sweat from my face and neck and stretched my arms around. I stopped and held myself up by putting all my weight from my hands weighing down on my knees.

I heard a low growl behind me and froze. _No, please, dear god, no. _I slowly turned my body around and came face to face with a wolf. It growled furiously at me and I stood there like a helpless deer. _Run, Katniss. Now! _My mind commanded me. My body flew into action and my legs turned me around and ran away. I was wrong. My body could go much faster. I was running so fast, I thought I was just going in circles. The wolf trailed slow behind, barking loudly. _You're strong, Katniss. Keep going. _I kept my speed up to scratch and I didn't know where I was going. I was probably heading myself deeper into the forest. I turned my head slightly to catch a sneaky glimpse of the animal. He was still on my tail but while I wasn't looking where I was going, I tripped over a log and fell deep.

I thought I might be falling off some sort of cliff or rolling down a hill. I didn't know where or what was going to happen to me until I was dropped into deep, clear blue, warm water. The water was well over my head and I didn't make the effort to climb my way to the surface. I floated in the water and let my body run out of breath. I used to love to swim. When I originally lived in Hunger Heights, I had a pool at my house. My dad used to love to swim with me. Some days, we pretended I was a mermaid. We'd splash around and throw me in the air and I would pretend to sing and dance. The flashback that played in my head was slowly going away. My breath got shorter and my vision got darker.

_Don't go, Dad. Don't leave. _

He smiled at the 6 year old in the water and slowly faded out of my head. The last thing I felt was my body drifting to the surface.

"Jesus Christ. Breathe, Katniss." I heard faintly. I felt a pair of warm lips touch mine and I felt air surface and push into my body. I choked up and pushed half my body up and watched water pour quickly out of my mouth. I coughed hard but quickly turned when I felt a hand on my back. I shot myself up to see my ex-boyfriend sitting on the ground, clothes drenched and hair soaked.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I gasped and held my cold body. Cato sighed loudly and stood slowly to his feet.

"Just saving your life." He rolled his eyes. I wiped my mouth with my wet sleeve.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Thinking. What were you doing running in the forest?" Cato smirked at me, looking at my ruined ipod laying on the ground.

"I went for a run. Needed to clear my head. I've had a lot on my mind. Which you would know about, ay?" I blew at him. I felt my pulse rise and my anger flooding through to my head.

"Katniss..Don't.." Cato begun.

"Don't what? Don't get angry? Don't tell the truth? Don't kiss someone else? Oh don't worry about that last one, you already took care of that for the both of us, right babe?" I smirked evilly and walked past him.

"You never let me in. I could never get through to you." Cato whispered. I stopped on my heel and slowly turned back to him.

"And it's a good thing I never did. Or imagine how hurt I would be right now."

* * *

**Hello beautiful readers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know this one and last one weren't very long. But I've had alot on my mind this week so I apologise very much. Please review and tell me what you want to happen next. I love your thoughts. Thanks for reading and keep it coming!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, everyone. I'm sorry about having such short stories lately so I tried really hard to make this much longer. So I hope you enjoy this dramatic chapter. Remember to review.**

* * *

"Katniss, just listen.." He tried to start before I cut him off.

"I don't want to listen, Cato! I don't want to get mind fucked. Just let me be mad. Let me breathe it out. I don't want to listen to it. To your excuses. No. I won't let someone else decide my decisions. They are mine. You can't shake my choice." I growled at him and wrapped my frozen arms around my body.

"You realise she kissed me?" Cato whispered.

"You kissed her back." I stated. No expression in my voice.

"I'm sorry. I need you to forgive me." He breathed out. His head sagged between his broad shoulders.

"You should be."

"Katniss, I'm not losing you." Cato yelled.

"You had me and you kissed someone else. That's all that mattered. You kissed her back. So there is really nothing else to talk about." Katniss whispered and walked away from him.

"You're welcome, by the way." Cato called out. I rolled my eyes but my back was turned from him. My braid was wet and heavy and I pulled it to the front of me and squeezed the water out.

_Boys will not make you cry, Katniss. Men are simply not worth the tears. _My mother's words replayed in my head and I tapped the wells in my eyes away.

_You're stronger than they are. _Those were Gale's words to me before I left for the Capitol.

_Breathe, Katniss. _I pushed the wet, stuck strands from my face and breathed heavily. I walked through the darkening forest and watched the sunset fall into the horizon. I didn't want to go home. Gale's words replayed in my head and I smiled to myself and when I left the forest, I went on the route to his house.

* * *

Mrs Hawthorne opened the door with caution but relaxed quickly when she saw my familiar face.

"Dearest, Katniss. How are you darling?" She greeted and embraced me into her homey arms. She squeezed me tight until I replied.

"I'm good, Sara. Okay." I said when she released me from her grip. Sara new me well. She knew me since I was seven and ran around her back yard. She was always the sweetest girl. I think she always thought of me as her daughter. She was basically my second mother. She's more motherly to me now, than Effie ever could be.

"I'm so sorry to hear about the accident, darling. My prayers were with you." She said sincerely and brought me into the house. I nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, thankyou for the flowers too. And the money. It really helped me along." I looked down at my dirty shoes embarrassed. I dried up on the way here but my clothes were still stuck to my body and damp.

"Of course, sweetheart. Are you cold? Why are you wet? Want some clothes?" She asked and grabbed a towel out of the near linen closet and handed it to me.

"No, no. I'm fine, Sara. Is Gale here?" I asked and looked toward the staircase.

"Yeah, just upstairs in his room. You know where it is. Would you like a snack?" She asked and power walked to the kitchen.

"No thanks. I'm quite fine. Thanks." I called out to her and walked toward the staircase. She was probably going to still going to make me one. I walked up the carpet covered stairs and gazed at the photographs on the walls. Gale's transformation over the years. Family portraits. I stopped at the top of the stairs at one of me and Gale outside the forest. I held a bow in my hands and he had his arm wrapped around me. We were around the age of 15 at the time. Just a few years ago. I touched the photo and smiled warmly. I finished the stairs and walked down the hallway to the end door where Gale's bedroom was behind. I turned the doorknob with no caution and became face to face with Gale and Peeta laying down, Gale on top of my beloved friend, kissing each other passionately.

"Oh my god! Ew! Ew! EW!" I screamed an covered my eyes quickly. Gale swore under his breath and Peeta quickly jumped out from under Gale and fixed his formal shirt and his hair. Gale stood up slower and looked at me, embarrassed. "I totally forgot! Oh! That was scarring!" I yelled. Gale laughed and Peeta apologised.

I collapsed onto Gale's bed and laughed loudly.

"At least this kind of perked up my day with a good laugh." I smiled and laughed more. Peeta breathed out, relieved I wasn't mad. They both sat on the sides of me. Peeta put his hand on my knee and looked at me sympathetically.

"Yeah, what happened today at school? We weren't at lunch. We were just told about it in class." Peeta said softly, treading on glass over my feelings.

"You two were probably making out somewhere else, ay?" I laughed and sighed. Peeta and Gale waited for my serious answer and explanation. "Glimmer and Clove wanted to get back at me for Cato not being friends with them anymore. So Glimmer ran up to him and kissed him. But he kissed her back." I swallowed. I blinked the water in my eyes away and fidgeted with my fingers. Peeta gasped.

"How do you know?" Gale said. I felt him tense on the side of me. He was always the most protective.

"I saw it. His lips puckered back and he relaxed into her hold. Ugh, it killed me. I couldn't believe he would do that. Made me feel like throwing up."I choked and spat out. Peeta rubbed my back softly.

"I'm sorry, babe." Peeta murmured. He stood up and put his jacket on. "I should probably go." Peeta said. Gale sulked, disappointed.

"Do you want to stay here?" Gale asked me. I smiled relieved and nodded. I really didn't want to go home. Peeta quickly approached Gale and gave him a quick peck on the lips. I gagged jokingly and Gale punched me in the arm. I punched him back. Peeta walked toward Gale's window and I raised my eyebrows.

"What is he doing?" I asked. Gale chuckled and Peeta stopped and turned to Gale, wanting him to give me the explanation.

"Our parents don't know." Gale said simply. I choked and laughed all at once.

"So you sneak around into each other's windows and you can't tell your parents who you really are?" I asked.

"Well I don't live with my parents. They're at the Capitol. So I'm cool. It's just Gale." Peeta laughed and accused Gale with a finger. Gale rolled his eyes. He was clearly done with this conversation. "See you two later." Peeta smiled and jumped out the window onto the near tree. I laughed lightly and fell back onto the bed. Gale smiled sympathetically.

"You'll be fine, Katnip." He declared. I nodded once and he stood up in front of me.

"I know."

* * *

"Where were you last night, Katniss?! You didn't come home!" Effie yelled immediately at me when I returned home the next morning. I growled under my breath and ran up the stairs, ignoring her without guilt.

* * *

Peeta picked me up minutes later, and I didn't have time to braid my hair. I annoyingly left it out, wavy and grabbed my bag and ran out of the door before Effie has the chance to yell at me again.

* * *

"See you at Lunch, kid." Gale farewelled and walked towards his roll call, just as me and Peeta done the same. I already dreaded thinking about being in the same room as Cato, Glimmer and Clove for 10 minutes. I walked through the door and Clove, Thresh and Marvel sat together and Cato sat depressingly in the back corner behind them. I took my seat on the other side of the room in the corner. Cato looked over to me and I felt his gaze burning into me. I shrugged it off and just stared at the door. Glimmer came through next and smiled smugly at me and walked past Clove flicking her hair over her shoulder. She sat by Cato and twirled her arm through his. He snatched it away from her hold and eruptly stood up. He growled and layed one last look to me before storming out of the room. Our teacher still checked him off for being here. I breathed relief when he exited so I didn't feel the awkward tension anymore. Glimmer shot me death stares and I felt my pulse rise in anger.

_Stay calm, Katniss. _

I smiled at her and stood up, throwing my bag over my shoulder. I walked out of the room and my last thought of where Rue was.

* * *

I sat with Gale on a green double bench at lunch and pulled out a hard apple from my bag.

"How was English?" I asked before I took a large bite out of my fruit. Gale shrugged and unwrapped his homemade sandwich which I could notice was made by Sara.

"What's so great about Poetry?" Gale asked me rhetorically. I smiled with no humour.

"When are you going to tell Sara and Luke about Peeta?" I asked. I laughed silently at Gale's changed expression and frowned at me.

"When I'm ready." Gale said vaguely. I rolled my eyes at his response and pressed him for me.

"And when will that be?" I asked.

"I dunno, Katniss! When I am!" He sulked and bit down into his sandwich. I pfft it out and smiled when Peeta crawled over to us and sat next to Gale, across from me.

"Did you guys hear?" Peeta said desperately, throwing his bag to the ground. We both shook our heads and bit down to our meals. Peeta rolled his eyes at our non-social conduct and asked if we wanted to know. We nodded slightly, though he both knew we couldn't give a shit. "Rue's missing." Peeta finished. My head flew up immediately and the apple in my mouth fell out.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah, her father waited for her to get home on Friday afternoon but she never came. Can you believe that? I wonder where she is." Peeta sighed sadly. I couldn't even speak. I felt my stomach fly up to my throat and block it with no air escaping.

"Rue. Isn't that the girl you helped when she was getting beaten up?" Gale asked. I nodded softly and whispered too lowly for them to hear:

"The Capitol."

* * *

I ran home after school, turning down a ride from Peeta. I huffed through the front door, while Effie was refilling a drink of Haymitch's.

"Bad day?" Haymitch slurred.

"Something like that" I blew, unfocused on the question.

"You got a package, Katniss." Effie chimed in and nodded her head off to the dining table where a small box sat. I swallowed and walked toward the box. Effie followed me and ripped it apart with scissors. A black video sat on the bottom of the cardboard box. Effie picked it up and examined closely. "A video tape?" She questioned. I rolled my eyes and went and sat next to Haymitch on the couch.

"Who's it from?" I asked.

"There wasn't a name." Effie replied and followed me into the loungeroom and pushed the video into the player. I grabbed the remote and flicked it to the AV channel.

I screen remained black for several seconds before it sprung to life. A dark room was displayed on the screen until a single light was turned on, to reveal a small figure, tapped down to a rotten chair.

"What the hell is this.." Haymitch whispered, putting his glass down. Effie shushed him and I couldn't breathe. I looked closer and when the small figures head drooped up, it revealed the small face of my treasured friend.

Rue.

I sprung at the TV and held my hand to the screen.

"Shit! Shit. Shit. Shit. Rue. Oh my god. Rue!" I screamed at the TV. She looked fragile and weak and cute up a bit. I cried to the TV and scratched at it, trying to get her out. She had a piece of material wrapped around her mouth, handicapping her voice. The video was moved and adjusted to point directly at a space. Seneca Crane came into the screen and I spat at his face.

"Katniss. I'm sure you remember me. You nearly got me fired. Mmm. I'm sure you know who this is." He said and pointed the camera back at the small girl. "Well, President Snow informed me that you're not going by our rules. Consider this a warning." He growled evilly and sat the camera back to its frame on Rue. He nodded at someone behind the camera and left the screen. I cried desperately and shook the TV.

"Don't hurt her!" I yelled at it and ran my hands desperately through my hair. I turned back to Haymitch and Effie and they both look just as stunned. Effie had a hand over her mouth and had tears welling up. Haymitch bit his bottom lip and stared at the screen intently. I turned back and a few moments later, a big man walked past the camera over to my friend.

"Get away from her!" I screamed. No one listened.

Rue cried up at him desperately and shook her head. Her curly brown hair was messy and dirty. Her skin was soiled and muddy. Her tears stained her face and I cried with her at the distress in her eyes. Her young face was photographed into my mind. I didn't know what to do. She continued to look up at the big man and pleaded and begged with what little noise she could. The man placed one hand on the back of Rue's neck and the other on the side of her face. She cried desperately and I clawed at the screen in front of me.

The man was fast, he quickly flexed his hands to the left and the sound was loud, the bones cracked in her neck and I screamed louder than ever. Rue lost all expression in her face quickly and all her limbs went numb. He backed away and switched the camera off, and our tv screen went black.

"No!" I screamed and cried frantically.

* * *

**Hey guys, I hope you liked this chapter. I know it's terrible about Rue. I just had to create something to motivate Katniss. Do you like the idea or not? Obviously, no one likes the fact that Rue is killed but tell me what you think? I'm trying to make alot happen. Tell me what you think should happen next? Should she go to the Capitol. Or stay hard and fight back at them? Tell me what to do. I love all your reviews. Thankyou so much. Keep reading!**


	16. PLEASE HELP ME

Hello, Catoniss readers.

I would like to apologise dearly to all my readers for not updating in so long. I have had alot of things to do lately but it is so excuse. I have been at school, and away on a week long bike ride, but basically the main reason I haven't updated is because with my story. I am having the biggest writers block! I just, I don't know how to go on. I am having the worst block ever. I just don't know how to continue. How Katniss should act. How things should play along. I just don't know how to write it anymore.

I would really appreciate if everyone (AND I MEAN EVERYONE) reviewed what they would like to happen in the story. Because if I don't get any guidance, I don't see how I am going to continue. I really need all your help right now.

I don't even know if you guys are missing the story at all or if I'm ramming on about something you don't really care about but if you want me to finish this story I need everyone to review and tell me what they would like to see!

I feel like a terrible writer and I know that I shouldn't be getting writers block but I can't help it, I'm so sorry.

Also, I have been writing a new story. If you are a fan of Teen Wolf, please don't hesitate to go check out my new story. Chapters are much longer and I have alot more detail. So please go check it out.

So I'll finish by saying, Please please please help me out. I really need it. I hope you guys have missed me and the story of Cato and Katniss. Keep reading and post reviews please!


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello, Catoniss readers, it has been forever since I uploaded a new chapter but the good news is. . .MY WRITES BLOCK IS GONE. For now. But right now, I know where the story is heading for the next few chapters and then I'll probably have no idea again and ask for your help. So I am so sorry it took so long. But please keep reading and i'll keep trying to be good and post chapters. Please post reviews , I really need your help in this. So I hope you liked this chapter. I know it's short but I have little to work with.**

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I stared at the blank tv screen motionless. Praying that it would come back on and tell me it was a prank and that my friend wasn't dead. My body stayed still and not a muscle was moved. Effie paced behind me and Haymitch was quickly sober.

"We've got to do something." Effie started, speaking softly.

"We can't, Effie. Have you learnt nothing? They are the most powerful people in our world. We tell anyone, we try to do anything. They'll come after us. They'll know before we even utter the words 'The Capitol'. We can't do anything. We're sitting ducks." Haymitch told her. I sat frozen, rocking softly back and forth. Each rock sending me further into insanity. Effie came down beside me and placed a hand on my arm.

"Katniss, darling. Are you okay?" She asked. But my words weren't there anymore. There was a throat full of nothing. A tongue full of no words. I wanted to answer but my body wouldn't respond. I looked to her and felt my eyes full of pain. My breathing got heavier and my last thought was _'Rue' _before I fell backwards into unconsciousness.

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Her face was the last thing I saw before I opened my eyes again. I was laying on my bed and Gale, Peeta, Effie and Haymitch were hovering over me. I blinked and ran a shaking hand through my loose hair. They all watched me carefully while I pushed myself up.

"It actually happened, didn't it?" I breathed. Everyone nodded slowly and dropped their eyes. I dropped mine along with theirs but raised it immediately and breathed away the flooding eyes that were trying to escape me. "What time is it?" I asked them and walked into my bathroom and hushed my face away from the mirror. I was disgusted with myself.

"8:15AM." Effie answered. The others kept their silence and watched my pace around my bathroom like I was going to do something but couldn't quite figure what I'd come into the bathroom for. I slowly bent my head down and flooded it with cold water.

"So I should head to school, then?" I asked, wiping my face, avoiding the teasing mirror and walking back out to the few people I loved that I had left.

"No, no. Of course not." Effie said. The others agreed and shook their heads. "You need to rest. Take it easy for a few days until we figure out what to do." She offered, placing a hand on my messy bed.

"There's nothing to do, Effie. What can we do? Nothing. I need to go to the capitol. He wants me there and that's where I have to go. He said there would be consequences so if I don't go, who's he going to take next? You? Haymitch? Gale and Peeta?" I said aggressively towards her, which I didn't mean to sound so harsh but it came out that way anyway.

"Cato?" Gale asked, nodding slowly. I nodded my head and sank onto my bed.

"President Snow knows about our relationship. He knows everything. He'll take all of you from me if I don't go to him. I have to." I told them. Effie shook her head violently and strictly made a no sign with her hands.

"No. No. I refuse to let you go there and watch them take you from me and torture you. Because that's what they'll do Katniss, they'll torture you and then they'll kill you and say it was another bloody accident." Effie cried.

"So I don't go, and let them take each of you guys individually until I beg for them to kill me? No, I'm going to the capitol and maybe Snow and I can arrange some sort of deal. I could do something to help him. Like go in the Games again or, be like a game maker or something. I don't know what else to do, Effie! This is the only option!" I yelled. All of my family stood over me and looked lost. Effie shook her head, Haymitch just stared sadly at the ground, Peeta had tears in his eyes and Gale fidgeted with his nails.

"I am your guardian, and you are not leaving. Okay? You got that, Katniss? Everybody let's go. Katniss, you sleep some more. Come on, guys." Effie ushered and grabbed all of the three men in my room and dragged them out and I was left alone.

All I kept seeing was Rue's crying face; looking up to the big man and quickly getting snapped and seeing her limp body fall apart. Over and over again, it replayed in my head. It was ruining me. I crawled around in my bed and snuggled down into the sheets and tried not to see it. But it wouldn't leave me alone. All of this was my fault.

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I didn't sleep like Effie had asked. I heard the door shut 4 times before I got out of bed and packed my bag. I wasn't even sure what to pack. I'd never packed before, I through in some shirts and pants and a few other essentials. I felt lost and confused but I knew what I was doing. I needed to do something before anyone else got hurt. I nodded to myself and slung my duffel bag over my head and crept downstairs. Until I was sure no one was home, and no one would hear my leave, I quickly shoved some food into my bag and ran outside.

Until I realised I didn't have a car. How the hell am I going to get to the damn Capitiol?

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I stood outside of Cato's house awkwardly. We hadn't spoken in a few days and I knew it was a long shot for him to just give his car to me without questions but I would do anything it takes to keep my family safe.

"Oh, Jesus Christ" I muttered under my breath before slamming my fists against the door frame. I faintly heard someone running down the stairs and coming towards the door, I was praying his mother or father wouldn't answer and for me to have to explain myself. I didn't have time, I needed to get out of Hunger Heights as quick as possible before anyone notices I'm gone.

Thankfully, Cato was the face I saw when the door swang open. I seemed to have forgotten how brilliantly gorgeous he was, but I controlled my overwhelming compassion for the time.

"Hi, Cato. I know you're probably surprised to see me here. ." I began to say before he cut me off.

"No not really, I saw you standing outside from my bedroom window for the past twenty minutes." Cato said coolly.

"Oh, right. Well, um. You see. ." I tried to restart my whole entry but I'd lost it all and now was trembling on my words, not knowing how to explain.

"Just tell me what you're doing here, Katniss. Before you choke on your own words." Cato laughed at my face. I frowned and stood up straighter and looked him in the eyes.

"I need your car." I said.

"Why?"

"Because I would like to drive it." I fired back.

"You don't even have your license." He told me and I frowned at my failing attempt to get a car.

"No one will pull me up."

"You're Katniss Everdeen. Everyone will pull you up." He chuckled. I growled and rolled my eyes.

"Just let me borrow your damn car, Cato!" I bursted out. He raised his eyebrows at me, slowly, ignoring my loud outburst.

"Tell me why you want it." He uttered.

"I need to get to the Capitol!" I outbursted but quickly threw my hands over my mouth, begging for the words to come back. Cato's facial expression quickly turned from amused to shocked.

"What the hell? Are you serious, Katniss? No! You're not taking my car! Are you crazy!?" Cato screamed at me, he held his eyes securely in his hand as I eyed them off, challengingly.

"Give me the keys, Cato." I told him, my chillingly calm voice intimated him but he didn't back down.

"No." He refused.

"Give them to me. Now." I growled slowly. Cato showed no signs of worriedness while I got less and less patient.

"No, Katniss. You're not getting my keys." He shrugged.

Then I snapped. I grabbed him by his shirt and threw him against his own house. I shook him and punched him and slammed him against the wall over and over again until he grabbed me back.

"GIVE ME THE KEYS!" I cried at him, my voice not being scary anymore, now just sad and pathetic.

"And what am I supposed to do, Katniss?! Let you go? Let you take me car and go get yourself killed? You think I'm going to let that happen? What the hell would I do if I lost you? Do you get it yet? Would you let me go if the situation was reversed? NO! I won't let you run away from me again. I won't let you go." Cato yelled. His shoulders sagged slightly and I could see the desperation in his voice. He wouldn't let me leave. His eyes were sad and vulnerable and I could tell he was thinking about me being dead right now. The news. The guilt. The funeral. It would kill Cato, just like it would kill me if it was him.

"Cato, just. ." I didn't get time to finish whatever I was saying before my mouth and his collided. Cato's hand was firm on the back of my head and the other softly rested on my neck. My face felt wet and I then realised tears were streaking down my cheeks. Our kiss didn't soften, it was just as rough and grounded as it needed to be. Our tongue's entwined while I clung to his shirt and brought it closed to me with every second we were touching.

Finally our faces started to soften and our lips departed, Cato's hand was softly touching half of my cheek and jawline with his fingertips and I could feel his hot breath entering my mouth while we stared at each other intently.

"I need to go, Cato. It's my family we're talking about." I whispered into his mouth. His eyes were like a puppies which made me choke up inside. He let his hands drop and turned his back to me, shut his door and locked it. He barely looked at me before he started walking away and towards his car.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm driving." He said, flicking the keys in his hands and hopping into the drivers seat.

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